Saturday, July 31, 2004

Yesterday, a patient gave me the perfect description of the two weeks before the beginning of menstruation... She called it a “two week descent into hormone hell”. Why does this ring so true? Let’s look at it from the scientific and physiologic standpoint first. Estrogen and progesterone have to disappear from the blood stream to cause the menstrual flow to start. Once we have ovulated, if we do not get pregnant, we must menstruate. It is the normal physiology of the menstrual cycle. Estrogen and progesterone stay low in the system for as long as we are menstruating. Once the...
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Wednesday, July 28, 2004

Over the past few weeks I have come across this question quite a number of times so I thought I would write about it. While I do see more and more young women in their 30s and early 40s, I also see and hear more from women in their late 60s to early 80s. I am thrilled! Some have been on synthetic hormones for decades and some have just become aware of options. Most complain they cannot have a conversation with their physician because the physicians, for the most part, tell them they are too old to worry either about...
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Sunday, July 25, 2004

By now we’ve all read Suzanne Somer’s new book The Sexy Years and we are hoping for fulfillment to the promise of natural hormones in the area of sexuality. Before the book, before celebrity placed our waning sexual desire into the spotlight, I’d been treating women with problems reaching orgasm, loss of interest in sex, vaginal dryness and every potential permutation of sexual problems you can conceive. Ten years ago, the women I saw who brought up problems with sex as they aged were few and far between. The primary reason women came to see me to have their hormones...
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Friday, July 09, 2004

I get lots of questions about estrogen so I thought here would be a good place to write about it. The following are facts, taught in medical school, facts even your doctor cannot disagree with. They will educate you and empower you in any conversation with a health care provider, your friends or web search information you may read. Estrogen: Estrogen is made in the ovaries, the follicle around the ovum, adrenal glands and fat cells. Estrogen is not one big molecule, it is a group of many molecules. The three main molecules that make up estrogen are: estriol, estradiol,...
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Wednesday, July 07, 2004

As I was addressing the use of natural hormones in women who have undergone hysterectomies and the importance of starting the hormones before the surgery and staying on them for as long as needed afterwards, I realized how much more information I need to share with you about the topic of hysterectomy. As a physician I have been working with women who have undergone hysterectomies for almost 30 years. It never seemed strange to me, a conventionally trained physician, that so many women: 500,000 a year, undergo hysterectomies. That is until I started to hear from my patients about their...
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Monday, July 05, 2004

A frequently asked question in e-mails and calls I receive revolves around use of natural hormones in women who have had hysterectomies. Every year 500,000 US women undergo hysterectomies. It is a staggering number with far reaching implications. The need for so many hysterectomies is coming into question, what happens to the woman’s mind and body after the surgery is often shocking and the treatment options after the hysterectomy are often unclear. I will try to help offer better insight into what happens after the hysterectomy and how best to use natural hormones to forestall the devastating effects women experience...
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Welcome To My Blog

I am a leading national expert in the fields of natural hormone therapies, anti-aging and disease prevention.

I have worked with tens of thousands of patients, written four best-selling books, appeared on various news programs including CBS News, Larry King Live, CNN and MSNBC as well as The View, Oprah Radio with Dr. Oz and many others.

This blog is my space to give you non-biased information and strategies to live your most healthy life. Enjoy!

This site is for informational and educational purposes only and the information contained herein does not constitute the rendering of medical advice or the provision of treatment or treatment recommendations. Browsing this site does not establish a professional relationship with Erika Schwartz, M.D. or any member of her professional staff. Any medical or other decision should be made in consultation with your qualified healthcare provider. The information contained on this Web site has not been evaluated by the FDA. This information is not intended to treat or diagnose.